A mobile device includes applications for performing various tasks. Often, a mobile application communicates with another application that executes on a server in a datacenter. A datacenter is a data processing environment where numerous data processing systems, such as server systems, are co-located and managed in a rack organization. A typical datacenter manages hundreds of racks.
A random number (RN) is a number in a set of numbers where the set exhibits statistical randomness by containing no recognizable pattern or regularities. Truly random numbers are difficult to generate. Most random numbers are pseudorandom, and are generated within a range of numbers using a random number generation algorithm. A quality of a random number represents how close to truly random the number is in a given set of random numbers. A high quality random number has at least a threshold degree of randomness, where the degree of randomness approaches true randomness.
Many applications in a typical datacenter need random numbers. For example, a server-side application uses random numbers to encrypt a session with a device-side application. Often dozens of real and virtual sessions are executing in a single rack at any given time in a typical datacenter, requiring a constant supply of high quality random numbers. A datacenter can thus have thousands of sessions needing thousands of high quality random numbers per second.
Practically all cryptographic techniques in use depend on random numbers. Therefore, a source of a significant volume of high quality random numbers is very attractive and essential for a datacenter.